Has anyone made cranberry wine?

[Joanie]

I have been trying to start the 5 gallon jug of cranberry I got last week from Walkers Fruit Basket. I've had trouble from the get-go!

I decided to use Cote des Blancs instead of the included Montrachet because I wanted some residual sugar. I started the yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water then stirred it well into the juice last Thursday. Nothing! I realized that my water wasn't warm enough (the thermostat on the new hot water heater was set to 90 degrees) so I started over on Saturday, this time being sure the water was the right temp. Nothing! My house has been on the cool side but not cool enough to fire up the furnace. I took the juice temp and it was 60. No wonder the yeast wasn't working! Using the oven mostly I warmed the kitchen and the juice to 72 and still nothing. Last night I decided to use the yeast they sent figuring they sent it for a reason. I expected it to be perking away this morning but nothing! I expected it to be perking away when I got home from work. Nothing! I added 3 more teaspoons of yeast nutrient and stirred some more just a bit ago.

What do I try next? How long can juice go before it's no good? HELP!!

 

[Wade E]

Cotes Des Blanc will range fro 12-14% abv. Montrachet will sop at 13% so what it came with would be better and Montrachet is supposed bring out the color and body better. What is the SG of this right now? If too high for reason it will give it trouble. Did you add any k-meta?
Edited by: wade

 

[dfwwino]

What's the PH and acidity? What's the SG? Also, I wonder if Walker's oversulfited. I once had a wine that was oversulfited prefermentation (can't remember why, other than the winemaker was stupid). It took several days before fermentation began, while I frantically watched waiting for a microbial infection to destroy my must. Luckily, it did not and the wine turned out well. I vigorously stirred the must each day, agitated it, to drive off the sulfites as best I could.

 

[dfwwino]

Wade's post gave me a thought (it wasn't there when I wrote mine). I read elsewhere on the forum (probably Bill B) that Walker's adds sufficient prefermentation sulfites. Did you add more sulfites? If so, there's your problem.

 

[Joanie]

The only thing I added besides all the yeast was the yeast nutrient that came with it and then more this afternoon. SG is the same as when it arrived--1.196 and sulfites are 50 PPM. It's supposed to be a put the yeast in and go deal so I figured acid and pH are already balanced.

 

[dfwwino]

I understand the yeast in and go deal. However, you've got no fermentation after four days, which is not normal. So there is some reason fermentation is not taking off, which could include PH imbalance, oversulfiting, lack of nutrient or some other reason. Cranberry is very acidic. Too much acid could be causing problems. Therefore, if you did an acid and PH test, it might help you diagnose the problem. you might also want to test for Sulfites and make sure there's only 50 PPM. Edited by: dfwwino

 

[Joanie]

The can says the acidity is 1.13. No pH was given.

I have to leave for a while but I'll be back ...hopefully to say things are bubbling away!

 

[dfwwino]

That seems like a very high level of acidity. But then I took a look at Bill B's tutorial on Walker's juice and he had some similarly high levels of acidity:
http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3962


I always thought acidity for fruit wines should be in the .50 to .60 range. Maybe you should give Bill B. a PM.


Acidity and PH usually have an inverse relationship. Because of your high acid level, the PH might be low. If PH is too low, it can inhibit yeast fermentation.


If you don't have testing tools, I would start with the assumption that there are too much sulfites and use a drill stirrer or spoon to stir the must vigorously at least twice a day. I would make sure my yeast packets were reasonably fresh, not outdated, and I would keep pitching the same yeast every day until fermentation started. If nothing happened, I might resort to attempting to lower the acid with Calcium Carbonate. But it's like being blind without performing tests for PH, acid and sulfites. Don't believe what you read. Employees make mistakes. Someone could have overdosed the sulfites, provided a mistaken acidity level, given you really old yeast. Edited by: dfwwino

 

[jobe05]

Joan: Acid does seem a bit high, but I only know what I read, No experience here with Acid............ Well.............. in wine..............

The SG seems a bit high also, nit impossible, but a little high.

I would wip the snot out of it (as Waldo would say) to add a little oxygen to it then I would do what NW does, Put it next to the fridge to warm it up a bit. That yeast is going to need to be 77 degrees+ to start with an SG of 1.198...... Just my thoughts

Edited by: jobe05

 

[lockdude]

1196 is awful high Sg.The yeast may not start with that much sugar.I would put a 1/2 gallon of the must in a gallon jug,and add some water to it to drop the sg.Pinch it with a pack of yeast and after a day of fermenting,add it back to the rest of it.If you can get a gallon of it going good in a starter,it should start.Dont add anymore neutrents.
lockdude

 

[Wade E]

That is going to be a sweet wine and dont recommend using a yeast that will take it any higher or you will have a very hot bottle of jet fuel. The acidity is very high and really should not be above .70 typically. I think you should call Walkers tommorow and ask them if this should be watered down as both of those #'s a very high in my opinion.

 

[jobe05]

I would think she would be safe adjusting from 5 gallons to 6 gallons. THat would put the acid almost right and the SG .......... maybe a little low but easier to adjust.

Does Walkers ship 100% pure straight juice, or is it already watered down? I may have to try the Blackberry and Black currant if it 100%.

Edited by: jobe05

 

[grapeman]

Either you typed in the wrong SG or it is extremely high. Those must be numbers provided by Walkers because my hydrometer only goes up to 1.160 and that is 21% ABV.1.196 would be pretty hih to begin fermenting. I like the idea lockdude has. Make a starter with a diluted gallon- I would go half and half. It sure wouldn't hurt to whip it good to drive off some of the sulfites. You had three strikes working for you. Warm up the must, lower the sulfites and make a yeast starter. The acid is probably ok. You want the cranberry tart, and the residual sugars(especially if that high) will balance it out well. It probably wouldn't hurt to give Walkers a call and verify the numbers- errors can happen!


Good luck with it Joan. I'm rooting for you!

 

[Joanie]

Excuse my stupidity, gentlemen!! I have never read SG well. It has confused me from my first batch of wine and apparently that hasn't changed! The Brix on the can is 21 which works out to just under 11% abv and that is accurate on my hydrometer. What does that make the SG?

 

[grapeman]

Excuse my stupidity, gentlemen!! I have never read SG well. It has confused me from my first batch of wine and apparently that hasn't changed! The Brix on the can is 21 which works out to just under 11% abv and that is accurate on my hydrometer. What does that make the SG?

~1.084 Actually it is a little over 11% and if it goes to dry it will likely be over 12%(add the extra point under 1.000 at about .992)


That should ferment once the sulfites are a little lower.Edited by: appleman

 

[Joanie]

Oh dear lord! I've been reading it bass ackwards!!

I'm going to find my drill!

 

[grapeman]

Joan are you just a little lissdexic? You have to watch out for those backwards bass!

 

[jobe05]

Applemans right, 1.084 should start with no problems. I'd put it in a warmer spot and watch it for another day, but for $0.69, I would go ahead and do another starter using some of the cranberry juice, mix with 50% water.

And still stir the snot out of it!

 

[Joanie]

The snot's been beat out of it and it's in a warmer place. I am crossing my fingers that it will be up and running in the morning.

I forgot to report...I broke my floating thermometer on Saturday checking the juice temp.

 

[dfwwino]

Joan are you just a little lissdexic? You have to watch out for those backwards bass!

Well, I must be xicdexliss because I had earlier read that SG as 1.096. Yup, 1.196 would be a huge SG, off the charts. But now that we're at 21 brix, too much sugar is definitely not the problem, which leaves excess sulfites,too low of PH, bad yeast or bad karma. I bet it is the first. Time to start using that drill and driving off sulfites.


Joan, it helps when taking the SG readings not tostart drinking the wine until after you obtain the SG reading.

By the way, my eyes are so bad now I can barely read the SG.I need to get some reading glasses. Aging sucks.Edited by: dfwwino